If Your Email Open Rate Drops Below 10% Fix This Now

Let me guess. You were getting solid email open rates — 20%, maybe more — and then overnight, they tanked. Now you’re lucky if 6% of your list even opens your emails. Nothing changed on your end. You didn’t do a huge list import. You didn’t suddenly get spammy. So why is Gmail treating you like a scammer?

You’re not alone. This happened to me too. One day I was sending campaigns that people loved, and the next, Gmail ghosted me.

I did everything “right”: my email platform was legit, I had SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up. But my emails were still landing in spam.

Turns out, there’s more to staying in the inbox than flipping a few DNS switches. If your open rates have dropped below 10%, there’s a good chance you’re in Gmail jail.

Let me show you how to get out.

Been there. Lived it. Fixed it. And now I’m here to help you avoid email jail.

First, What Is Gmail Jail?

Gmail jail is when your emails get flagged as spam or land in the Promotions tab instead of your customer’s main inbox. Even though you’re not a spammer, Gmail treats you like one because of invisible technical problems with your domain setup.

You don’t even know it’s happening until your open rates drop to single digits.  

Here’s a timeline of when these regulations went into effect. 

Year/Period	Event/Requirement
Early 2000s	SPF and DKIM standards introduced
2010	DMARC development begins
Jan 2012	DMARC specification published
2012–2023	Gradual adoption, best practice for marketers
Early 2024	Google/Yahoo enforce SPF, DKIM, DMARC for bulk senders – full alignment required
May 2025	Microsoft enforces SPF, DKIM, DMARC for bulk senders

Up until 2024, email providers were pretty lenient.  They kept encouraging everyone to make these changes and everyone did.  But Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft (probably 99% of all email) weren’t being rigorous about it – until, as I learned in April 2025. 

Why Is This Happening To You?

You’re sending from your own domain—that’s good. But here’s what nobody told you: it’s not enough to have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up. They also need to be aligned with your domain and email headers.

Wait. What are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

Think of your email like a handwritten letter:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is your return address. It tells Gmail which servers are allowed to send emails for your domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is your signature. It proves the email wasn’t tampered with along the way.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) is your house rules. It tells Gmail what to do if SPF or DKIM don’t match up.

And What’s Alignment?

This is the part that tripped me up—and probably you too. Even if SPF and DKIM are “passing,” Gmail wants the domain in the email header (what your reader sees in the “From” address) to match the domain in your SPF and DKIM setup.

In my case? My email said “from @diymarketers.com,” but my email platform was sending it from Zoho’s bounce address, which used a domain like zcsend.net. Boom. Gmail said, “That doesn’t match” and off to spam it went.

How to Know If You’re in Trouble

Every email marketing tool will guide you through this spf, DKIM, and DMARC process.  When you’ve added the correct records, you’ll see something like the image here – everything looks verified and good. 

I thought I was good.  Everything was verified and my email results were looking good.  But here’s what I didn’t know – until I sent an email campaign and out of the blue – my open rate plummeted to below 10%.

As soon as I saw that, I was concerned and I went back to check to see if maybe something broke.  But everything looked fine.  I honestly didn’t know what to do. 

So I reached out to Zoho Campaigns support and they told me to check my Google Postmaster tools – and this is where I saw a problem.

Use Google Postmaster Tools (FREE!)

Here’s how to get the truth about how Gmail sees your domain:

1. Go to Google Postmaster Tools
   
2. Log in with the same Gmail address you use for your business
3. Add and verify your domain (you’ll add a TXT record to your DNS)
4. Check the following tabs:
   • Spam Rate (should be under 0.1%)
   • Domain Reputation (you want “High”)
   • Authentication (check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC)

If anything says “Needs Work” or “Fail,” you’re in Gmail jail.

How to Fix It (Like I Did)

Here’s what I did to get out—and what you should do, too.

I went to ChatGPT.  I’m petrified of messing around with this kind of stuff and honestly didn’t know what to do. 

The first paragraph is my prompt and then I went into Google Postmaster Tools and pasted in the text from the postmaster tools dashboard. 

And this is what ChatGPT said – it basically translated all that technical speak into plain English so that I can understand what the problem is. 

OK – so now I knew what the problem was. But how do I fix it?

This is where ChatGPT really came through.  I won’t take you through the whole chat (it’s long) but this was a game-changer for me. 

Here’s a cleaned up and summarized version. 

Step 1: Fix Your SPF Record

Go to your DNS (likely through your domain registrar or web host). Find your SPF record.

Example SPF that includes Zoho:

v=spf1 include:zoho.com include:zcsend.net -all

Make sure it includes every platform you send emails from (like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Zoho, etc.).

Step 2: Fix Your DKIM

Your platform (like Zoho Campaigns or Mailchimp) should give you a DKIM record to paste into your DNS. Make sure the domain in the d= tag matches your actual sending domain (diymarketers.com, not zcsend.net).

Step 3: Align Your Return-Path (a.k.a. Bounce Address)

Most ESPs (Email Service Providers) send bounces from their own domain. You need to set up a custom bounce domain like bounce.yourcompany.com and point it to their servers.

In Zoho, this means:

• Go to Domain Authentication
• Add a custom return path
• Add the CNAME record they give you to your DNS

Here are similar help files for the most popular email systems:

• Mail Chimp Custom Return Path
• Active Campaigns Custom Return Path

Once you’ve set this up.  You want to make sure that it’s working and that it’s applied to your emails. 

The best way to do this is to create a test list in your email marketing system that only includes your email.

Then send a test email directly to that list (that only includes you)

Once you receive the email, click on “show original” – in Gmail – 

Don’t freak out – the email will open in another tab and look like this:

You’re simply going to use the “find” function and search for “d=yourdomain”.  You can see that I did that here and it was there.  Whew.

Once this is done. Give your email a rest. Postmaster Tools needs about 24 hours to process. Come back the next day and then go to Google Postmaster Tools.  You should see this:

With all the tech cleaned up – you now need to go and clean your email list. 

Step 4: Clean Your List

Inactive or cold subscribers hurt your sender score. Here’s how to clean up:

1. Export your entire list.
2. Sort by “last opened” or “last clicked.”
3. Tag contacts like this:
   • Engaged: Opened/clicked in last 30 days
   • Warming up: Opened in last 31–90 days
   • Cold: No opens/clicks in 90+ days
4. Delete or suppress everyone in the cold group (or run a re-engagement campaign first).

Tools like MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, and ConvertKit make this easy to do inside the platform.

Step 5: Rebuild Trust With Gmail

Just because you’ve cleaned everything up, doesn’t mean that you can start sending thousands of emails.  You need to re-introduce yourself to Google. 

To do that, you want to start sending emails to your MOST ENGAGED people and ask them to reply back to you.  And then, you reply to them. This is showing Google that you have a real relationship with your list. 

• Send only to your Engaged segment for 2–3 sends
• Use personal, plain-text style emails
• Avoid spammy phrases (“Act now!” “Limited time only!”)
• Ask people to reply — replies help build sender credibility
• Use segmentation to test subject lines and improve engagement gradually

How to Create Smaller Segments in Your List

Segmentation is your best friend. Here’s how to do it without any fancy tech skills:

1. Go to your email platform and filter contacts by last activity.
2. Create the following segments:
   • Recent Openers: Opened email in the past 30 days
   • Clickers: Clicked on any link in last 30–60 days
   • Dormant: No opens/clicks in 90+ days
3. Create tags like Hot, Warm, Cold and use these for sending smart, targeted campaigns

Focus on your Hot and Warm lists. Avoid sending mass emails to Cold unless you’re doing a specific re-engagement campaign.

Your Domain = Your Reputation

If your email is [email protected], you own that domain’s reputation. Mess it up, and it doesn’t matter what tool you use—Gmail won’t deliver your messages.

You wouldn’t leave your credit card info lying around. Don’t leave your domain unprotected, either.

Email Deliverability Checklist

If you’re not getting the open rates you expect, use this checklist to systematically troubleshoot and fix your email deliverability. These steps are tailored for non-technical small business owners using platforms like Zoho, Mailchimp, or ConvertKit.

Step 1: Confirm Gmail Is Flagging You

• Go to Google Postmaster Tools and log in.
• Add your domain and verify it using a TXT record through your DNS settings.
• Check the “Authentication” tab. If it says “Needs Work” next to SPF or DKIM, you’re not properly authenticated.
• Also look at “Spam Rate” and “Domain Reputation”—if they’re bad, Gmail is limiting your inbox reach.

Step 2: SPF Record

• Log into your DNS manager (this might be GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Bluehost, etc.).
• Look for your current SPF record. It starts with v=spf1.
• Add includes for every tool you send from (like include:zoho.com). Example:

v=spf1 include:zoho.com include:mailgun.org ~all

• Use MXToolbox SPF checker to confirm it’s valid.

Step 3: DKIM

• In your email platform (like Zoho Campaigns), go to the domain authentication section.
• Copy the DKIM TXT record they provide.
• Paste it into your DNS exactly as shown, and save.
• Make sure the domain in the d= field matches your “From” domain. If you’re sending from [email protected], the DKIM should also come from yourcompany.com, not your ESP.

Step 4: Set Up Custom Return Path (Bounce Domain)

• In Zoho: Go to Deliverability > Custom Return Path
• Add a new hostname like bounce.yourcompany.com
• Add the CNAME record provided by Zoho to your DNS settings
• Screenshot: Zoho Custom Return Path Setup
  

Step 5: Clean Your List

• Export your subscriber list to a spreadsheet.
• In your email tool, tag subscribers by engagement:
  • Engaged = opened/clicked in last 30 days
  • Warming = last activity 31–90 days ago
  • Cold = no opens/clicks in 90+ days
• Delete or suppress cold subscribers (or run a one-time reactivation campaign)
• Screenshot: ActiveCampaign List Cleanup Tool
  

Step 6: Send Smart

• Only email your “Engaged” and “Warming” segments while reputation recovers
• Use short, plain-text style messages that look personal
• Avoid images, multiple links, or spammy words (free, limited offer, etc.)
• Ask a direct question in the email and invite replies—replies build sender reputation fast
• Monitor open rates and use Postmaster Tools every week to check improvements

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

• Having SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is NOT enough. They need to be aligned.
• Use Google Postmaster Tools to check your domain reputation.
• Set up a custom return-path domain.
• Clean your list and segment it.
• Only send to engaged contacts.

Final Word

If you’re seeing low opens or getting ghosted by Gmail users, it’s not you. It’s your domain setup.

Fixing this isn’t glamorous. But it’s critical. You could be sitting on the best email content in the world, and Gmail would still hide it if your domain’s not trusted.

Take the time to lock it down. Your future campaigns (and your revenue) depend on it.

Next Steps:

• Run your domain through Google Postmaster Tools.
• Fix any SPF/DKIM/DMARC issues and align them with your sending domain.
• Set up a custom bounce domain with your ESP.
• Clean and segment your list: tag engaged, warming, and cold contacts.
• Send only to your engaged and warming lists while rebuilding trust.
• Watch your open rates and domain reputation weekly — and keep optimizing!

You’ve got this — and now, Gmail knows it too.

If you’re seeing low opens or getting ghosted by Gmail users, it’s not you. It’s your domain setup.

Fixing this isn’t glamorous. But it’s critical. You could be sitting on the best email content in the world, and Gmail would still hide it if your domain’s not trusted.

Take the time to lock it down. Your future campaigns (and your revenue) depend on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I already set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — but my emails are still going to spam?

It’s not just about having those records — it’s about making sure they’re aligned with your domain. Gmail checks if your email is coming from the same domain that’s listed in your SPF and DKIM settings. If you’re sending from [email protected] but your return-path or signature says something else (like your email provider’s default domain), Gmail gets suspicious. Use Google Postmaster Tools to verify alignment.

How do I know if I’m using the wrong return-path or bounce domain?

Most ESPs (like Zoho, Mailchimp, ConvertKit) default to using their own domain for bounces unless you override it. You can check this by viewing the email header of a test message sent to your Gmail. Look at the “Return-Path” — if it ends in something like @zcsend.net or @mailgun.org, it’s not aligned. Fix this by setting up a custom return-path domain.

How often should I clean or segment my email list?

At minimum, review your list every 30–60 days. Remove or pause sending to anyone who hasn’t opened or clicked in 90+ days. Use tags like “Engaged,” “Warming,” and “Cold” so you can send only to the people most likely to open. Engagement = inbox placement.

Can I still recover my domain reputation if Gmail already flagged me?

Yes! You’ll need to stop sending to cold subscribers immediately. Stick to your most engaged list for at least 2–4 campaigns. Keep things conversational, plain-text, and highly relevant. You’ll start to see your open rates and reputation improve with each send — but it may take a few weeks.

What’s the fastest way to check if Gmail trusts my domain?

Go to Google Postmaster Tools, verify your domain, and check the Domain Reputation and Authentication tabs. If either one says “Low” or “Needs Work,” you have issues to fix — and this article shows you how.